


Red-Eye

by vivaglam



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-07 03:57:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3160319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaglam/pseuds/vivaglam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sound of his phone jolts William Darcy awake. The clock on his nightstand reads 3:34am.</p><p>“William,” Lizzie Bennet gasps, a note of panic in her voice. “Something’s wrong.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Post-LBD, post-Secret Diary book

The sound of his phone jolts William Darcy awake. The clock on his nightstand reads 3:34am.

“William,” Lizzie Bennet gasps, a note of panic in her voice. “Something’s wrong.”

William sits straight up in his bed. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve been having this weird pressure and cramping all day, and oh my god, I’m bleeding… This isn’t supposed to be happening...” Her voice cracks as she tries to hold herself together.

William is already on his feet and gathering up his belongings around the hotel room before she’s even done with her sentence.

The calm in his voice belies the thudding fear in his heart. He has to keep it together for Lizzie’s sake. “Lizzie, I’m going to get the first flight home that I can. I’m coming home, okay?”

Her voice shakes as she says goodbye, and William is out the door within seconds.

 

He rubs his eyes as he finishes up the last of his emails notifying the people he was supposed to meet with. The airport seems to be empty except for him, a handful of other passengers, and the employee at the coffee stand by his gate. He calls Lizzie back to fill her in on his flight information, and is glad that she’s not alone as she waits to get admitted at the hospital. He can tell that she is making a valiant effort to sound brave, but he can hear the fear in her voice. He reassures her the best he can, and then she has to go.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can, okay? I love you so much,” he says, choking up.

William places his phone down on the table and rests his head in his hands, the uncertainty eating away at him. There’s nothing he can do right now, and he _hates_ not being able to do anything.

He finally decides to buy himself a cup of coffee, and as he stands there waiting for the barista to make his drink, he eyes the pastries on display on the counter. There’s a lone Rice Krispie treat sitting among the muffins and danishes, and William winces, remembering…

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“You’ve never made Rice Krispie treats?” Lizzie was incredulous as she and William pushed their cart through the cereal aisle. “What kind of childhood did you have, William Darcy?”

“I had a perfectly _good_ one free of highly-processed pillows of sugar and artificial ‘puffed rice,’” he replied, the corner of his mouth curling slightly in amusement.

“I can’t believe we’ve been together for four years and we’ve never made Rice Krispie treats together,” she continued. “Jane may have the monopoly on snickerdoodle skills, but I’ve got her beat when it comes to stirring together cereal and melted marshmallows.” She grabbed a box and put it in their cart. “We are SO doing this tonight.”

“If you wish.” William smiled indulgently as she steered them toward the baking aisle.

He actually found the concept a little gross, but Lizzie hadn’t been feeling well lately, so he was willing to go along with her idea since he knew it would make her happy.

Making Rice Krispie treats wasn’t really a two-person job, so as Lizzie stood barefoot at the stove, gently stirring the marshmallows, William made himself useful.

“What do you think you’re doing…?” Lizzie asked in a sing-songy voice as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed his lips against her neck.

“You’re making me treats. I would like to give you a treat as well,” he whispered suggestively, his lips finding a sensitive spot on her collarbone. She giggled at his corny comment, but pressed her hips back into him sensually.

She withstood his attentions just long enough pour the mixture into the pan and place it in the fridge before grabbing him by the lapels and pulling him down for a searing kiss as his hands found the zipper on her jeans. They left behind a trail of clothing as they moved to the bedroom.

A couple hours later, as William lay there still reeling, Lizzie got up suddenly and ran out to the kitchen. She came back wearing his shirt and carrying the entire pan of Rice Krispie treats.

“You sure know how to make a girl work up an appetite,” she said, munching happily on a sizeable piece she had cut for herself. She proceeded to finish the entire pan before the end of the evening, except for one piece that William grudgingly agreed to eat.

William awoke the next morning to the sound of retching.

“Lizzie?”

“I’m okay,” she called from the bathroom. After a while, the heaving stopped and she said weakly, “It’s probably whatever bug I’ve had all week. I think I’m going to stay home today.”

“It’s probably the Rice Krispie treats,” William said, handing her a washcloth. “You haven’t been feeling well for a while. Maybe you should go see a doctor?” he suggested.

“Yeah, maybe,” she said, curling into fetal position on the rug and closing her eyes.

William immediately picked her up and carried her back to bed. “I’ll stay home and drive you, okay?” he said gently.

“No, it’s okay,” Lizzie said, stubbornly. “I’ll just rest a bit and go later.” She yawned. “Really. You should go to work.”

William smoothed her hair off her face before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll check up on you, okay?” But Lizzie was already drifting off.

She was still in bed when he got home that evening.

“Lizzie? How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” She sounded distracted even though she wasn’t doing anything.

He bent down to kiss her, as he always did, but something felt different. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m just… you know. Tired.” She curled up again and turned away from him, hugging her pillow.

William immediately knew something was wrong. “Did you go to the doctor’s today?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“And what did she say?”

After a pause, she said dismissively, “The usual. Rest and fluids.” And said no more.

Now he was _really_ concerned. But he didn’t want to press her on it, so he let her rest and spent the evening doing some work on his laptop in their living room.

He tried not to be bothered by the fact that, when he finally went to bed, Lizzie had scooted to the far side of their bed. He could tell by the pattern of her breathing that she wasn’t asleep yet, so he reached out and gently rubbed her back, but when she showed zero reaction, he simply turned away himself.

She was already gone the next morning when he awoke.

“Needed to catch up on stuff I missed. I’ll probably be late tonight,” said the note she left in the kitchen.

He texted her, “I hope you’re feeling okay. I love you.”

It was lunchtime before she finally responded, “Fine. Love you too.”

William tried not to be bothered.

That evening, she came home after he had already gone to bed. He woke as she crawled in next to him, and in his semi-conscious state, he instinctively reached for her and pulled her close, his hands moving across her body.

“Don’t,” she said. “I don’t feel like it, okay?”

There was something about her tone that stung, and he let go of her and rolled back to his side of the bed. As he drifted back to sleep, he thought he heard her crying.

It was like this for the next couple of weeks.

William Darcy never thought he’d ever see the day that he would dread going home to Lizzie Bennet. He _knew_ that something was wrong, but she wasn’t telling him anything - she wasn’t talking to him much at all, really. And every time he tried to ask, she would snap at him, annoyed. He made the mistake of asking Lydia and Gigi if they knew anything, and when she found out about it, she nearly bit his head off.

“I don’t need you checking up on me, okay? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she said resentfully, flouncing out of their bedroom. He came out later to find her asleep on the couch. Warring with himself, he ended up deciding to leave her be.

Even the sex, which was becoming far less frequent, felt different. On the now-rare occasion that she would let him touch her, she seemed like she was far away. And every now and then, he would hear her sobbing quietly when she thought he was asleep.

William was trying not to be bothered. But he was only human.

One night, they were watching tv.

Well, William was watching tv. Lizzie was staring in the direction of the tv, but he could tell that her mind was somewhere else.

An actress was being interviewed on the late show, and she was talking about how she managed to balance work and family.

“It’s been hard,” she was saying. “I thought I would hate taking time off from acting to raise my kids, but now I _love_ being a mom!” she said perkily.

“Fuck her,” Lizzie said suddenly.

Darcy looked at her sharply.

“ ‘Now I _love_ being a mom!’” Lizzie mimicked snidely.

“Lizzie, are you alright?” Darcy asked quietly.

“No, I AM NOT.” Lizzie got out of bed and went to the window.

Darcy immediately went to her and tried to put his arms around her.

“Stop,” she said, pushing him away. “You’re not helping.”

“What can I do?” he exclaimed, exasperated. “Please, help me understand.”

All he got was stony silence.

“The way you’ve been behaving lately…” he continued. “Did I do something to upset you? Did I do something wrong?”

Lizzie said nothing, but put her face in her hands and began to cry.

“I love you, Lizzie. Please help me understand.” He tried to hold her, but she pushed him away again, more violently this time.

“Can you just… just go away right now? Please?” she said, angry and sobbing. “I need to be alone right now.”

“Lizzie…”

“Just GO. PLEASE.” She stalked off to the bathroom and locked the door.

He threw on some pants and grabbed his coat, letting the door slam as he left.

He took a cab to a bar, one he used to frequent before he started dating Lizzie, and then his visits had become far and few in between. The last time he had been there was months ago.

“What’ll it be?” said the bartender, flipping her red hair over her shoulder flirtatiously.

He ordered a scotch, which he downed immediately before ordering another.

“Rough night?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She didn’t pry any further, but handed him another drink.

The alcohol hit his bloodstream, and he began to relax, the chemical-induced warmth spreading throughout his body. The bartender, Sadie, kept flirting with him and pouring him more. And William was enjoying flirting back. After a few drinks, he stopped hurting so much, and after a few more, he even managed to forget that he had ever hurt at all.

After last call, he wandered outside and leaned against the side of the building, breathing in the crisp night air heavily. He should probably go home, but he knew he couldn’t, and he couldn’t remember why.

There was a movement of red in his peripheral vision.

“Hey, you’re still here,” she purred. She reached out and traced a fingertip along the inside of his wrist.

She said something else, but he couldn’t really make out the words. He was so dulled and numb that everything was hazy.

He felt lips press against his. He didn’t respond at first, but it made him feel nice, so he closed his eyes. He missed this. He really did.

He reached up and tangled his fingers through her red hair, the way he always did, and when he felt her nip at his neck, it turned him on as it always did, so he lifted her up and pulled her legs around his waist, like he always did, and pressed her against the wall. She moaned as his tongue traced the path of her collarbone. God, Lizzie always loved it when he did that. It always drove her crazy. He pushed up her shirt… and glimpsed the tattoo just above the lace of her bra.

Lizzie didn’t have any tattoos. William was suddenly sober.

He set Sadie down gently. “I’m really sorry,” he told her. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Do you want to come home with me?” she said breathlessly.

“I really… shouldn’t have done this at all. I’m actually seeing someone.” He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I love her,” he added, feeling like an idiot.

“Right,” Sadie said skeptically. She pulled a pen and paper out of her purse and scribbled something on it before pressing it into his hand. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me,” she said, before sauntering to her car.

William glanced only briefly at her number before crumpling it up and stuffing it in his pocket. He felt a sudden roaring in his head, and before he knew it, he was throwing up violently in the alleyway.

He took a cab to Fitz’s apartment. To his credit, Fitz said nothing, but placed a blanket and pillow on the coach before heading back to bed.

William fell quickly into a dreamless sleep.

As his eyes fluttered open the next morning, he glimpsed a flash of red hair through his lashes.

“William?” said a voice softly, full of tears and sorrow.

“Lizzie,” he croaked, his head full of cotton and scotch. He thought he could feel the individual veins in his eyeballs pulsating.

Gentle hands pressed a cold washcloth to his forehead. “Shhh,” she said soothingly. “Just relax.”

He lay there for a bit, regaining consciousness. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He could hear Fitz puttering around his bedroom, trying to give them their privacy.

“I’m so sorry, William,” she said, a tear rolling down her cheek. She rested her head against his chest. “I’m so, so sorry. I have something I really need to tell you. Can we go home and talk, please?”

“Of course,” he said, gently stroking her hair.

The sky was gray as she drove him home, and rather than talking right away, she placed a mug of coffee in his hand, which he sipped as she ran him a bath.

She led him to the bathroom, where she helped him undress as he sat on the ledge of the bathtub.

“What’s that on your neck?” she asked as she pulled his coat off his shoulders.

“What?”

William turned to the mirror in confusion to examine himself, and at the same moment that he realized they were bite marks, Lizzie was emptying out his coat pockets to add his clothes to the laundry pile.

“What is this?”

He turned around to see her looking at a crumpled piece of paper in confusion. Then she looked up at his neck, and William saw the realization in her eyes.

Lizzie’s lower lip began to tremble.

“Lizzie…” He reached for her, but she turned away.

“DON’T.”

“Lizzie, nothing happened.”

She turned around and jabbed her finger at his neck. “Is that what you call nothing?” she asked, her voice distorted with pain.

“I didn’t… We didn’t…” William began, but Lizzie wasn’t listening. She had disappeared into their closet. “Lizzie, please let me explain.”

“No explanation necessary,” she said, emerging with her overnight bag, which she immediately began stuffing with clothes as tears streamed down her cheeks.

The roaring in his head was returning. Horrified, he was close to tears himself, but he could do nothing to stop her as the room began to spin around him.

“Lizzie, don’t do this,” he pleaded, his hangover making him babble. “Please don’t do this. We need to talk. You said you wanted to talk. Please.”

She said nothing, but continued to gather up her things. Helpless, William followed her as she stomped through apartment.

“Lizzie, please,” he said, his voice nearly a whisper. “I love you.”

Shoulders shaking with sobs, Lizzie gave him one last glance as she slammed the front door behind her.

He tried in vain to get ahold of her, but she would not respond to his calls or texts. He knew she was staying with Lydia and Mary, and when he tried to talk to her in person, the two of them made it abundantly clear that Lizzie did not want to see him and that he was not welcome there.

Even Fitz and Gigi told him in no uncertain terms that while they loved him dearly, he kinda fucked up there. Badly.

The only people who didn’t make him feel like shit were Jane and Bing, but that was only because they weren’t actually capable of it.

Another week of radio silence went by. And then another. He missed her. God, he missed her. He started sleeping on the couch in his office because he couldn’t face their empty apartment, couldn’t face the scent of her skin still lingering on their sheets filling his nose as he tried in vain to sleep.

He felt helpless, and if there was one thing William Darcy did not handle well, it was feeling helpless.

Lizzie Bennet was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he had ruined it. And once, a long time ago, he had nearly blown his chance with her through his own bad behavior. It looked like his poor judgment was rearing its ugly head once again, and this time, there would be no second chances.

William came home from work one night, exhausted to the bone. It was the only way he could handle coming home anymore, these days - to be so tired that all he could do was go straight to sleep, without any time or energy to contemplate the emptiness of life without Lizzie Bennet.

That night, though, he realized there was a soft glow coming from the bedroom in an apartment that should otherwise be dark. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest.

Lying there, with a halo of candlelight around her shining red hair, was Lizzie. She was curled up asleep on top of the covers, her arms hugging her belly.

He approached her cautiously, not sure what to expect, not daring to expect anything. She looked peaceful, far more peaceful than the last time he had seen her asleep, and it taught him to hope as he’d scarcely ever hoped before.

Tentatively, gently, he reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

She was startled for a moment, but she reached up and pressed his hand to her face.

“William,” she whispered, opening her eyes slowly.

He hardly knew what to say.

She scooted over and pulled him down onto the bed next to her, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Lizzie,” he began, “I’m so sorry -” He stopped abruptly as his throat closed in emotion.

“Shhh,” she said, pulling his lips to hers.

They kissed sweetly, their tears mingling as they fell on the pillowcase. Darcy felt his hands gripping the back of her shirt tightly, pressing her against his body protectively, as if merging their bodies together would keep her from ever leaving him again.

He could feel her doing the same, clutching him to her own body and wrapping her legs around him tightly. He broke their kiss and moved his lips to her throat, and the gasp in his ear was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

They made quick work of undressing, and he pulled her on top of him. She wrapped herself around his entire being, his body as well as his soul. She enveloped him, surrounded him with her scent and her skin and her sounds of pleasure, and before long they both collapsed on the bed, happy and spent.

William was completely blissed out and drunk with love as he looked over at Lizzie, who was smiling, her eyes closed as she absentmindedly stroked her belly.

He pulled her close, spooning her as he covered them both with the duvet, and for the first time in weeks, he slept wonderfully.

He was alone when he woke up the next morning. He sat up with a sudden shock, afraid that he had dreamed the night before, even though he could smell her on his skin.

The scent of coffee drifted into the bedroom, and he immediately jumped out of bed, pulling on some clothing before heading to the kitchen.

He was greeted with Lizzie’s dazzling smile.

“Good morning,” she grinned, placing a cup of coffee on the table for him, which he promptly ignored in favor of her lips instead.

They finally broke apart, and he sat down to drink his coffee as Lizzie leaned against the table next to him, placing a hand on her stomach.

“Lizzie.” He set down his mug and eyed her. “Why do you keep doing that?”

She smiled indulgently and leaned down to kiss him. “Finish your coffee. Then we’ll talk.”

In the bath together, they talked.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” she said, taking a deep breath and leaning back against William and pulling his arms around her. “While I’m still… hurt… by what you did…”

“Lizzie, I swear I didn’t sleep with her…” William began.

“Shh!” she said. “While I’m still hurt by what you did, I realized that it’s kind of my fault that it happened. You hurt me, but I think I hurt you first,” she added, her voice full of regret.

William said nothing, but bend his head down to kiss her shoulder.

“I treated you horribly,” she continued, “and for that I am so, so sorry.” She started to cry. “I was really, really unfair to you, and I blamed you for something that really wasn’t your fault, and I’m so sorry.” She turned and pressed her face against his chest.

He held her in comforting silence until she calmed down. “Can you tell me what happened now?” he asked quietly.

She sat up slowly, and hesitantly took his hand and placed it on her belly.

William looked down at the gentle curve he saw there, and then looked up at Lizzie’s face, wide-eyed. She smiled and nodded.

He looked back down at her belly. “You’re…?”

“Twelve weeks,” she confirmed.

He was so overwhelmed, he couldn’t speak. He simply pulled her close and kissed her, stroking her hair tenderly.

“I love you so much, Lizzie Bennet.”

“I love you too, William Darcy.”

“We’re having a baby,” he said incredulously.

“We’re having a baby,” she said, smiling. But she grew serious. “I found out that day that I got really sick, and at the time, I wasn’t sure if I even _wanted_ it.” She squeezed his hand, willing him to understand. “I was so scared, William. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be a mother, if I even wanted to be one, so I kept it a secret from you until I could decide what to do. I’m so sorry. I should have just told you,” she said regretfully.

“I was finally going to tell you… that morning,” she continued. “But then… you know…”

“I’m so sorry too, Lizzie,” he interjected. “I know it’s no excuse, but I was drunk out of my mind. But I swear to you that we didn’t… I didn’t…”

“I know,” Lizzie interrupted. “I believe you. And… whatever _did_ happen, I’m sorry that I drove you to it.”

He held her in silence for a while until she finally said, “These last few weeks without you have been awful. But they made me realize that there’s nothing I want more in the world than a life with you. And this baby.”

He kissed her, and they held each other there in the bathtub until their fingers and toes became wrinkly. They each had things to be sorry about, things that they would continue to discuss at length, but the most important thing was that they were together again. And William swore never to let anything tear them apart ever again.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Fitz, Gigi, and Lydia are there in the waiting room when William arrives. Their exhaustion is plastered across their faces.

“Where is she? What’s going on? Why aren’t you with her?” The questions come rushing out.

“Darcy, you need to sit down for this,” Fitz begins, and the alarm immediately flashes across William’s face.

Despite his exhaustion, his posture is ramrod straight as he tries his best to prepare himself for whatever he’s about to hear next.

“Lizzie went into early labor…” Gigi begins, and William feels himself clench the metal armrest of the chair he’s sitting in.

“Aside from being seven weeks early, the baby is fine,” Lydia continues. “She’s a little on the small side, but she’s perfect and healthy and awesome.”

“She?” William’s expression softens. They had opted to wait to find out the sex of the baby.

“You have a little girl, William,” Gigi says. “She’s so beautiful! I got to hold her! Lizzie said you were going to name her after Mom if it was a girl!”

“A girl,” William repeats, dazed. But he shakes himself out of his stupor. “What about Lizzie? Is she okay? I need to see her.”

Their expressions turn grim, and Gigi grabs his hand.

“There was a complication,” Fitz says gently. “She was bleeding heavily because the placenta didn’t detach properly, so they had to take her to the OR.”

William felt the blood drain to his feet. He put his head in his hands. “Is she going to be okay?” he said, quietly.

“The doctor doesn’t think we should be alarmed. We should be hearing about her soon.”

“Come on, Darce,” Lydia stands up and pulls him out of his chair. “You should meet your baby.”

 

William cradles his daughter in his arms, listening to the rhythmic beeping of the NICU monitors around him, as the others stay behind in the waiting room for news about Lizzie.

While Anne is perfectly healthy, they will have to keep her for observation for at least a few days, to make sure that everything is going smoothly. William makes a mental note to let his secretary know that his paternity leave has begun earlier than planned. He planned to spend every moment he possibly could with his child.

She is tiny in his arms, but perfect. She has his nose and a shock of auburn hair that must have come from Lizzie.

And just like Lizzie, she has entered his life unexpectedly. Lizzie Bennet had burst into his life all those years ago at the Gibson wedding, and from that moment forward, his life had never been the same again. William isn’t a religious man, but at this moment, he is praying to whatever deity will listen to make sure that the love of his life comes out of this alive.

He presses his nose gently to Anne’s forehead, smelling her sweet baby skin.

“William? You can go see Lizzie now. She’s in recovery now.”

William hesitates only a moment, kissing Anne gently before handing her to Gigi, who grins excitedly as she coos over her brand new niece.

 

Lizzie is reposing, her eyes closed. She looks exhausted, but otherwise healthy.

William smooths her hair off her forehead and presses his lips to her temple.

“William,” she says, smiling. “Come up here with me.” She gingerly moves over to make room for him next to her on her bed.

He gently wraps his arms around her. “I love you, so much.”

“I love you too,” she says serenely. “Did you see her yet?

“She’s perfect,” he replies, smiling.

“That she is,” Lizzie agrees. “I miss her already. She’s been keeping me company for 33 weeks. This is the first time we’ve ever been in separate rooms,” she jokes.

“And as soon as you’re well enough, we will go over to the NICU to see her,” William promises.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here, William.”

“And I’m not going anywhere, Lizzie,” he whispers, as they both drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> FYI: I was listening to Hozier's "Take Me to Church" on repeat as I wrote this.


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